


Unravel

by DreamyRequiem



Category: Tales of Xillia
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-28
Updated: 2018-01-29
Packaged: 2018-08-11 14:31:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 19,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7896289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamyRequiem/pseuds/DreamyRequiem
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><b>Unravel</b><br/>un·rav·el<br/><b>verb (used with object)</b>, unraveled, unraveling or (especially British) unravelled, unravelling.<br/>1. to separate or disentangle the threads of (a woven or knitted fabric, a rope, etc.).<br/>2. to free from complication or difficulty; make plain or clear; solve: to unravel a situation; to unravel a mystery.<br/>3. Informal. to take apart; undo; destroy (a plan, agreement, or arrangement).<br/><b>verb (used without object)</b>, unraveled, unraveling or (especially British) unravelled, unravelling.<br/>4. to become unraveled.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Jude I & Leia I

**Author's Note:**

> Unbeta`d.  
> This is a fic based on a theory I had when I first played Xillia. I was wrong w/ that theory, but I still wanted to explore the ramifications of that idea. So here we are!  
> I'm not planning for this to be very long, so hopefully I can finish this quickly.

Jude was pacing.

He knew he should be sitting and resting before they dived forward into the unknown beyond the Hollowmount portal but he couldn't sit still. Maybe it had to do with the tension thick in the air or the fact that the last hour had been a series of awful situations. The latter definitely had something to do with the former however.

His gaze fell on the spot where the cliff side of the mountain had collapsed beneath the feet of Presa and Agria. The two had died following Gaius' will and they likely had no regrets doing so. And yet...It left a bad taste in Jude's mouth.

Leia was broken up about Agria and no matter how hard she tried to keep a strong front Jude knew she wasn't dealing with it well. The only reason he wasn't at her side trying to cheer her up is that she had made it clear she didn't want him there.

Elize and Rowen were both sorrowful over the deaths but not like the others were. How could they? Leia and Alvin both had emotional ties to the two and Jude in turn had a strong emotional tie to Leia.

The thought of Alvin made his throat tight with anger. Did he hate Alvin? No, Jude was sure he didn't. Was he furious with the mercenary? Oh most definitely yes.

He could barely acknowledge the man after Presa's death. If Leia hadn't pushed him towards speaking with him Jude would have likely ignored him. Leia seemed to be coping with having the man around, but...

"Jude! Do we have to have that big liar around?! He'll just betray us again!" Teepo yelled as Elize clung to his leg.

Jude gently pat the youngest member of the group on the head. "Ah...Yes. It'd be better to keep him where we can see him, right?" Elize puffed out her cheeks as Teepo made a whining noise right by his ear. Despite her clear disagreement on the matter she didn't argue against it.

Gravel rattled as Rowen walked up to the three. He was smiling patiently as he said, "Jude is correct, Lady Elize. It wouldn't due to allow Gaius to sink his claws into Alvin, hm?"

Teepo grumbled again as Elize sighed and nodded against Jude's leg. Rowen gently pried Elize away from Jude and pulled her away to a spot near the portal. Alvin was staring into space nearby that spot as well.

He looked to Leia.

She was still sitting at the cliff side, staring into the air where Agria had last been. Jude sat down next to her, hesitant, laying his hand next to hers.

Neither spoke for several minutes. Jude didn't mind: Sometimes all you needed was silence to understand someone else. And he knew Leia--even sometimes her actions baffled him, he could still understand her when she was upset.

Finally, Leia spoke. "Am I really so awful that it would be better to die than be saved by me?"

"No." Jude's reply was instant. "Agria was just...She doesn't know you like we do, okay? You're a great person and we'd all be a lot worse off without you here."

Leia looked at him, her eyes searching his face for any lies. When she finds none, she gives him a tremulous smile. "Okay. I believe you." Jude studiously eyed the sky as Leia wiped away the tears from her eyes.

She stood up and Jude turned his gaze to her. Leia grinned as she put her hands on her hips. "Alright! Time to stop mopping and start moving! Let's go, okay, Jude?" Leia grinned down at him before she moved to joined Rowen and Elize by the portal.

Jude watched her go, his throat tight. The swirling energy of the portal caught his attention as he watched Leia. The sight of it immediately brought back the pit of dread clenched in his gut. For whatever reason the portal to Maxwell's domain made Jude tense. It might have something to do with the way it seemed to swirl into darkness.

It was like if you went through it, you'd fall into a void and disappear.

The thought sent a shiver down his spine and chilled him to the core. This was not a good idea screamed a part of his mind, they needed to back off and leave forever.

But Jude needed answers. The only way to get those was to enter this portal, no matter what parts of him yelled at him to run away and never look back.

He should have at least one more talk with Alvin before they left, he decided. No he was most definitely not avoiding doing through the portal. He just needed to talk with Alvin at least one more time, really.

Almost feeling like he was being chased away by his own thoughts, Jude stood and made his way over to where Alvin was sitting. Clouds  drifted over head, casting the area in darkness every few minutes.

"Alvin," He said after he finally got his throat unstuck, "You haven't said what you're going to do next." Earlier, Jude had extended an offer for him to come with them, even though Jude was still furious with him over Leia's injury. Alvin had yet to accept or decline.

The older man jolted as if he hadn't realized Jude was there. Maybe he hadn't. Either way...It was clear by his expression that Alvin had finally made a decision on what to do next.

Alvin took a shuddering breath before speaking. "Well...I guess if you guys will have me, I'd...like to go with you all." His gaze flicked back and forth between Jude, the others, and the sky.

Jude let out a sigh through his nose. "I already offered that, Alvin. You don't have to ask." Alvin huffed a I guess so before he stuffed his hands into his pockets, staring at the portal.

"It's creepy, isn't it?," Alvin said out of the blue. Jude stilled as the older man continued, "It's like...if you watch it too long it'll suck all the life out of you." He muttered something bitterly under his breath that Jude didn't catch.

The former med student eyed the portal himself. "...Yeah. It is unsettling. Regardless, we had to go through it to get to Maxwell." Jude cleared his throat and called to the others. "I think it's time to go!" He walked to the portal and the other three hurried to his side.

Alvin slowly trumped after them, his shoulders slumped and his hands deep in his pockets.

Moving through the portal was like walking completely submerged in water. It was slow and aching and it felt like something was pressing down on you all while you felt oddly weightless. Jude did not want to repeat the experience.

Once the sensation of being crushed and lifted faded away the group of five were left alone in a dark world of nothing. Elize yelped and clung to Rowen, shocked while Leia leaned forward one of her hands brushing Jude's. Jude returned the gesture before he saw something besides the five of them: An orb of white-gold light.

They approached it as one and before they could touch it, the orb exploded into light. Jude closed his eyes with a wince and when he opened his eyes again the world had changed drastically.

The ground beneath their feet was made of cubes that glowed from within. Far below that was a vast sea of blue and the sky above twinkled like the night sky. The only evidence that this was not just the ocean at night were the scatterings of other cube platforms and singular cubes floating lazily through the sky.

"Trippy." Leia breathed.

Jude agreed.

The group continued on in silent contemplation that was broken on occasion by an unhappy comment from Teepo. The monsters that seemed to live in this realm were just as strange as the realm itself. Fire lizards and flying pixies; All of them with a strange circle attached to them somehow.

Were they specifically created just to protect this place? Jude supposed that made sense but if Maxwell never expected anyone except allies to come here then why would he have such defenses? A 'just in case' measure?

Either way they were a force to be reckoned with. Leia had to put out several fires the fire breathing happy lizards had set several times--the usual ones were either Jude's poor abused jacket or Rowen's belt. Both of them were eyeing Alvin's scarf in hopes that the next thing to catch fire would be that and not them.

It was when Elize started stumbling from exhaustion that they all agreed to a short break. Alvin found a spot for himself off to the side while Leia helped Elize gather her strength.

Jude had turned to Rowen.

"How much farther do you think it is?" He asked, frowning down at the blue expanse. It didn't seem to get any closer, no matter how far they traveled.

The younger huffed out a breath, one hand gripping the other hand's wrist. "Well, I guess we'll just have to hold out hope that things start changing soon. Or that it at least looks like we're getting closer."

When Rowen chuckled Jude flushed and looked away. They stood in amiable silence for a few moments before Rowen tilted his head to the side, his attention caught by something.

"Rowen?"

"There's something here."

Rowen's blade was out and a new strange beast appeared. Unlike the others they had run into before, this one was large and lumbering. There was a sharp cry of fear from Elize as Jude dodged around and under the first blow aimed at him and Rowen.

The beast roared and it's attached circle trembled. Jude kicked out at it's leg but barely left a dent. Nearby Rowen had started casting a fireball arte to give the others time to attack.

Jude used Swallow Dance, his fists slamming against the monster's arm. It didn't end well for him as Jude was slapped away. Rowen was throwing a Splash at the monster--Was it an earth one? Like the ones that had attacked them before?

He couldn't spare that train of thought more time to think about as the monsters turned on him again. The circle on it's head was shaking constantly now and Jude got a horrible feeling deep in his chest.

"Get away!" His warning felt like it tore his throat as he threw himself away from the monster.

And then the circle exploded, taking the monster with it.

Jude heard someone coughing through the cloud of dust the monster had left behind. "W-What the hell was that?!" Alvin. Jude shuddered and forced himself to his feet as the cloud dissipated.

"I don't know." Rowen replied. "However, if the monsters can self destruct at will like that...We must be careful from here on."

The cubes rumbled beneath their feet. Jude grimaced as Leia echoed his thoughts: What now?

"Who wants to bet Maxwell finally noticed us?" Alvin called out.

Leia snorted. "No bet. This is obviously--Woah!"

One of the cubes split clean in half. Jude stumbled away from the cube, startled. So they could break? It made sense but--!

Teepo yelped as Elize cried, "Jude, watch out!"

Jude's head snapped around to look and see what she was talking about but the strengthening rumble beneath his feet was the real answer. The section he was on was breaking apart.

The cubes closest to the others--and consequently farthest from him--shuddered and broke. Jude stumbled forward, trying to run to the others. He wasn't too far...If he just kept moving her could make it...!

Just as he reached the edge, he realized that he was too far below to just...walk up to them. He'd have to jump--but the momentum was lost even as he tried to throw himself up.

The only thing that saved him was Elize's hand wrapped around his wrist. There was a sharp 'Oomph!' from the younger girl as he dangled from her hand.

She couldn't handle his weight, but maybe Leia could. And Leia tried, grabbing Elize around the waist and trying to heft them both up. Yet there was no budging even as Alvin hurried over to help and Leia flinched away from him.

Jude's throat tightened up.

If this kept up, they'd all fall. And at this height...it was likely they wouldn't survive.

He closed his eyes, decision made. "Elize, I'm sorry."

Elize blinked down at him, confused. Jude grabbed her wrist with his hand and squeezed until Elize yelped and let his wrist go--and then he in turn let his grip fall away.

"No!" The scream was echoed by at least two of the others.

Jude smiled to himself as he fell. At least this way no one else would die with him--

\--His head hurt.

Actually, everything hurt. His arms and legs felt like they'd been battered by a wind storm. The sensation reminded him of when he'd woken up after Fezebel Marsh.

Taking a deep breath, Jude opened his eyes. He cringed as the light made his head hurt more but...yes, he was still alive. And still in Maxwell's realm, it seemed, as he watched a cube platform drift past over head.

He rolled over and pushed himself to his feet, flinching every time he moved more than necessary. Spirits, he'd probably had bruises on top of bruises when he got out of this. Jude would just have to hope he didn't have any fractured bones.

Glancing at the sky told Jude nothing about how long it had been since he fell. It was likely that the others might think he was dead--he had fallen pretty far with the thought that he would die. Yet here he was, none the worse for wear.

Jude shook his head and started limping towards one of the waterfall orbs nearby. If there was a way forward, he'd have to take it. It might just lead him back to the others.

His trip was spent entirely in silence. No one to speak to and no one to listen to: Is this how Alvin had felt when they'd split up after Milla's death? If so, Jude might have an [](https://www.google.com/search?biw=1366&bih=667&q=inkling&spell=1&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwid36jQjt3OAhVW7GMKHSdEC8EQvwUIGSgA)inkling[](https://www.google.com/search?biw=1366&bih=667&q=inkling&spell=1&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwid36jQjt3OAhVW7GMKHSdEC8EQvwUIGSgA) as to why Alvin fell apart even worse than Jude had.

After all, Jude had had Leia there to help him regain his balance.

He closed his eyes. He'd have to apologize to her after he met up with them. She was probably worried sick about him and he didn't want to put her through any more turmoil than he already had.

Most of the monsters on his trail forward he avoided due to his bruises and possible fractured bones. Jude couldn't handle a fight as he was right now, especially when he was all alone.

Even so, the sea of blue below grew closer and Jude knew he couldn't stop. His friends could be down there fighting without him and he needed to help them if they were.

Jude clenched his teeth as he fell to his knees in a strange circular platform. It was still made of the cubes but it seemed almost final, in a way.

He swallowed before forcing himself forward to the waterfall orb without thinking about what situation he might end up in the middle of.

His knees hit the blue with a ripple. It was like water, he thought as he stared at his reflection, except he could actually stand on it. If it was normal he would've sunk like a rock already.

The only thing he could here was a faint ticking sound echoing from somewhere.

Getting his stressed and aching body to cooperate and stand was an...experience. He can't remember if his body has ever been abused this badly before.  


Jude had to force himself to keep standing. He could do this: He had no other choice but to do this. If he stopped even for a moment--he was afraid he'd falter again.

And so he began to wander through the blue expanse looking for something. The only things he could see here golden gears sticking out of the blue expanse. The sky had changed somewhat--it seemed more like the sky during the day that the night sky it had been earlier.

It felt like an eternity passed before he saw something different. A black chair-like structure sat ahead of him, unmoving. He supposed that wasn't strange but...how did something that seemed so heavy stay aloft?

He supposed, since it was the only different thing he'd seen so far, it was worth investigating. Jude tapped a finger against his forehead as he studied the structure. It was definitely a chair of some kind. But why was a book sitting there? It was even more out of place than the chair.

Was this Maxwell's? And if that was the case, then did Maxwell enjoy literature?

Jude frowned to himself before reaching forward to take a hold of the book. Right as his hand brushed the cover, a voice rang out: "Jude!! Oh, spirits you're okay!"

He jerked around to see the speaker. Leia?! And then the book flipped open of its own accord. Jude stepped back, startled as the entire structure glowed.

"Jude!" Alvin yelled and he heard the older man start to run. How come he didn't hear them earlier? "Get away from there! It's dange--!"

Maybe he should've stepped back further, instead of stopping only a few steps back. Jude didn't really get a chance to regret not doing that, nor hear the rest of Alvin's words, as the book and chair exploded with light as one.

* * *

They panicked.

Alvin was still moving towards Jude--who was now sprawled out a few feet away from the smoking chair. Even from how close Alvin was, it was unclear whether or not Jude was even breathing.

Leia was following on Alvin's heels, her heart in her throat. Somewhere behind her she could hear Elize sobbing loudly. How could she not? She had brightened the moment they saw that Jude was alive--and then to have to watch him be literally blown up by something Maxwell left behind?

They were all devastated. It just hit Elize even harder because she had already been blaming herself for not being strong enough to pull Jude up earlier.

(Leia regretted not being strong enough to pull them both up.)

Before they could make it to Jude's side, another explosion lit up the area between them and Jude. The shock waves knocked them off their feet and Leia stumbled back up as an old man appeared before them, his face cool and emotionless.

No way....was this Maxwell? If so... "Get out of our way!" She screamed, pulling her staff from her lillium orb. "Or I'll make you!"

Maxwell's response was another well timed spell. How fast could he cast? Leia didn't spare the question another thought as she threw herself out of the spell's range of damage and towards Maxwell himself.  


Damn him! She snarled as she swung her staff into the spirit's gut. He was in their way! Helping Jude was more important than getting answers--because those answers would be worthless if another one of their friends ended up dead.

She unleashed a Soulstoke Spin as she kicked out at Maxwell. Behind her, Alvin was firing at a rapid pace. Leia stifled her minute flinches at the sound of the gun, focusing on their shared goal.

Rowen threw a combination of Fireball and Splash. Teepo spun past Leia's elbow, draining Maxwell of mana. Leia smiled grimly as she spun her staff again, preparing to aim for Maxwell's leg when she felt a tentative offer for a link.

_Alvin._

Leia hissed as an attack from Maxwell scored against her side. Did she dare accept it? She hadn't completely forgiven him for what happened but the linked artes would make their lives easier. She accepted the link, stifling her personal feelings behind the mental veil.

Almost immediately the two were going into linked artes, attack after attack hitting Maxwell hard and fast. They couldn't let Maxwell win.

She felt the mystic arte bubbling beneath her fingers and she tossed another Soulstoke Spin against Maxwell's gut. Leia followed it forward, leaping and slamming it down as her mystic arte unleashed itself.

Once she had backed far enough way after she finished Soulstoke Celebration, Elize cast a Negative Gate where Maxwell had fallen. For a moment Leia thought they had won against the powerful spirit.

But she was wrong.

He raised his hand and she knew without being told that he was unleashing his mystic arte in response to hers. Leia grit her teeth and started casting Barrier: She didn't know how strong this mystic arte would be--but if it's from Maxwell? It was probably strong.

Leia was right about that. She could feel the strain of the strange mana sphere battering against the barriers around them all before they shattered as one. The explosion knocked her off her feet and Leia screamed in pain.

Every fiber of her body felt like it was on fire as she fell to her knees. Around her she could hear the others falling as well. "D-dammit...!" Alvin hissed from where he was collapsed next to her.

She blinked away tears. Were they...going to die? All of them, without a single answer for what Maxwell had done? Leia choked on a sob as she tried to force herself to her feet again. No, they couldn't die here! Not yet.

Maxwell loomed above them, casting a new arte. Leia flinched as she managed to get to her feet. She needed to cats another barrier arte, or else someone would definitely end up killed in this next attack...!

A figure fell from above, sword flashing. "Stay away from them!" Leia stumbled at the voice because... _it can't be_.

_She's **dead**._

And yet Milla Maxwell stood before them, her blade held aloft as she stared Maxwell down.

Leia stumbled. "M-Milla...Jude is..." Milla's red gaze flicked to her before falling on Jude's unconscious form several feet away. Alvin still seemed shocked to see Milla at all as he stuttered the woman's name.

"Undine! Efreet! Sylph! Gnome!" Milla called out and the Four Great Spirits appeared before them. Leia unconsciously reached down to help Alvin to his feet as she watched the Four.

They were...terrifying in a way that she'd never felt before. Leia felt it was odd that she was feeling a terror from the Four but nothing from Maxwell.

Milla clicked her tongue. "Maxwell! What have you done?" She stepped forward, the heels of her boots clicking. "Why can I not sense you? Why have you attacked my friends like this?!"

The Four were like grim sentinels until Undine shook herself. "Milla...something isn't right here. I do not think this is Lord Maxwell."

"What?," Milla said, voice sharp.

Before anyone could question Undine further, Maxwell cast another field arte. It was not the same as the mystic arte from earlier but it was just as deadly. Thanks to Milla, however, they all managed to dodge the worst of it.

The battle raged on as Milla called for Undine to heal them all. Leia spun her staff around as she kicked off of Maxwell's back. Behind her Alvin shot several points along Maxwell's arm.

Leia clenched her teeth as she used another jump and kick off to send herself towards Jude. Her knees hit the ground as she skidded to a stop next to him.

She cradled Jude's head on her lap. "Jude? Jude, come on...!" He groaned softly, his eyelids fluttering. "H-hey, you okay?"

Jude groaned again in response. Leia bit her lip as she raised a hand over Jude's chest. The current arte she was using wasn't as strong as Resurrection or Nurse but it should at least repair the worst of Jude's injuries.

"Elemental Mastery!" Milla roared somewhere behind them. Leia looked up to watch as Maxwell faded away into a mist under the onslaught of Milla's mystic arte. Undine had said that wasn't the real Maxwell--but what if it was? Maybe now they could simply walk away as the Schism vanished.

Good, she thought. That would be good. They could all finally have some peace, even if it would take some time. It would be worth it, wouldn't it? She shifted as she laid her hands on Jude's leg, feeling the fractures in the bone there.

As it healed beneath her fingers, she heard Milla speaking with the others. "What happened?" Milla asked.

"J-Jude fell when we were trying to get down here." Elize whispered. Leia wished she'd speak a little louder, but considering the situation...

There was a soft 'hm' from Milla. "So on your way here Jude fell and was injured--That explains how you were separated. But why is Jude unconscious? Did he fall here?"

Alvin sighed. "...No. There was a chair and it exploded when Jude put his hand on it. After that Maxwell appeared and we couldn't get to Jude until you showed up."

Leia glanced over to Milla to see her nodding to Alvin. She was about to speak, free from fixing the worst of Jude's injuries when a hand grasped the back of her choker and tossed her towards the others. She let out a sharp gasp as she hit the ground hard next to Milla.

Milla spun on her heel. "Leia?" She stepped forward and stopped. "...Gaius. Muzet. What are you doing here?"

What? Leia rolled onto her side and pushed herself to her knees and she saw them. Muzet's hand was still out stretched and Gaius was looking down at Jude, still laying on the ground where Leia had been just moments before.

She grit her teeth.

"It seems Maxwell still hides from us all." Gaius spoke as he turned his fierce gaze on them. "And yet...How are you here, Milla Maxwell? We all saw you fall, that day."

Milla pointed her sword at Gaius. "Does it matter? I stand here before you no matter what the explanation may be. And you have yet to answer my question, Gaius."

Gaius in turn pointed his own sword at Milla. It shone with an unearthly light. "I am here to stop the Schism from falling."

Leia stood and fell into step next Milla, her staff brandished. She can't let Gaius stop them and it was clear the others agreed as they followed her. "Gaius," Milla said, her sword at the ready, "You would enforce your will on others without giving them a choice to choose their own path. I cannot allow that."

"The weak need a guide!" Gaius declared as he raised his blade. "And if I must be that guide, then so be it."

Milla shook her head. "It is clear that words will not convince you. So..." She began casting. "I will make you see the truth!"

Muzet summoned her orbs of crushing gravity and threw them at them. The group split up in reaction to this and began to race their way around to pinch Gaius and Muzet between them.

Gaius swept around, his blade almost catching Milla's leg. Leia swept toward him, flicking her staff up to hit the king. Muzet threw herself into the blow and gasped as Leia's staff slammed into her ribs.

Alvin soared past her with his blade and gun, firing at Gaius as he slashed furiously at Muzet. Muzet snarled in response before tossing him to the side.

The air seemed like it was on fire as Milla and Rowne unleashed a linked fire arte. Leia grimaced as she was forced to back off of Gaius. The arte wouldn't hurt her thanks to the field ally arte but...she didn't like being near that searing heat.

An attack from Muzet slashed her arm as she backed away from Gaius. She flinched and tripped up even as Gaius brandished his blade, yelling, "Enough!"

Gaisu slashed the air, rending a hole through space. It looked...like the portal on the Hollowmount? But how...? Leia stumbled as the air seemed to be sucked away into the portal.

"You will all return to Rieze Maxia!" Gaius declared. "I will not allow you to stop me! The Schism will continue to protect Rieze Maxia!"

Milla yelled something that Leia couldn't hear. She was far too busy trying not to be sucked up into that vacuum. It was as she tried to grab Elize that she realized another vacuum had been opened. This one had more of a pull and, grasping Elize's wrist, Leia was dragged off the ground and into the air.

"Jude!" Leia screamed as she realized Jude was still laying out of reach. Milla scrambled to get to him as Rowen and Alvin were tossed into the air. Just as Leia thought Milla would grab Jude, she lost sight of them as she sailed through the portal.

Her back hit something rocky and she gasped in pain. Leia's head hit the ground and blacked out.


	2. Elize I & Alvin I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta'd by my friend Laura!  
> Some spoilers for endgame X1 ya know?

Elize's face was caked with dirt and tears.

Beneath her glowing hands was a bleeding Leia, her eyes closed. Her friend had hit her head hard enough to draw blood when they'd fallen through the portal. If Leia hadn't shielded her then Elize was sure that she'd probably would've hurt herself quite badly.

Alvin crashed on the ground next to her while Rowen managed to land on his feet. He saw the youngest members of the group first and rushed over, kneeling down next to Leia.

"What happened?" Rowen asked, expression grim.

Elize glanced up at him, tears still sliding down her face. "S-She hit her head while she was trying to protect me..." She looked back down at Leia, moving her hands over Leia's head injury to stop it from bleeding.

Rowen pressed hand to her shoulder to stop her. She glared at him, her lips draw into a frown. He shook his head once. "We need to stitch up her injury...Alvin." Rowen turned his attention to the mercenary. "You have a first aid kit, yes?"

Before he could reply, Milla appeared from the portal, her expression clearly one of anger. Alvin grimaced and quickly passed along his kit without a word, taking a few steps away from the group.

"That big fat liar better stay away!" Teepo grumbled as he hovered near Elize's head. Ah, if only Alvin hadn't come with them. Maybe then they wouldn't have to worry about being backstabbed again.

Elize looked up at Rowen gently pulled her away from Leia to tend to her head wound. Milla's arms were crossed as she stared at the portal--which was slowly growing smaller before their eyes. She glanced at Milla's legs and saw blood.

"A-ah! Milla, your leg!"

Milla started, surprised. "Elize? ...It's fine. Don't worry about me."

Teepo roared up in Milla's face. "Milla! If you're hurt, then let us take care of it! Leia's hurt too and Jude is..." Both Elize and Teepo scrunched up into a ball as one.

Jude.

Due to the fight with that Maxwell and Gaius, no one besides Leia had been able to get close to Jude. Elize knew he had to be alive because she saw his arm move just before that second vortex swept her up.

But he was alone with Gaius and Muzet...what if Muzet tried something? From what Jude and Leia had told them before Muzet had tried to kill them and then tried to get Alvin to help her.

Elize looked up at the sound of Milla's sigh and her putting a hand on Elize's head. "I'll be fine. And I'm sure Jude will be as well," Milla said with a small smile, "He's rather stubborn, yes?"

She smiled back and Milla pulled back to turn her attention to the slope. Her eyes narrowed as she shooed Elize towards Rowen and Leia. Elize glanced over as she followed Milla's instructions: Was that a person?

Milla moved forward to meet them and Elize sat down next to Rowen. Rowen glanced down at her with a weak smile.

"Will Leia be okay?" Elize asked, her voice quiet.

Rowen nodded. "She'll need to rest but once she wakes up...well, we'll see then." See then what?

Teepo bounced. "See what, Rowen?! Will something bad happen?!"

He chuckled and shook his head. "No, though she may have some troubles remembering what happened in the Schism. We'll have to remind her, but until then...all we can do is wait for her. Do you understand?"

Elize nodded. She was still worried but Rowen had calmed those worries for now. Focusing on her worry for Leia would help her avoid her worry for Jude: Elize can do something for Leia. Jude...Jude was beyond their reach at the moment.

Rowen looked up as Milla and the unknown figure approached them. Alvin walked over from where he'd been leaning on a tree in the background as the man with Milla introduced himself as Balan.

"Hey," Alvin said, startling the other members of the group. "By any chance, are you the Balan related to the Svents?"

Svent? The name was familiar and Elize frowned as Balan raised an eyebrow. "Why, yes I am. Why....Wait." Balan took a couple steps forward and grabbed Alvin's shoulder. "Alfred? Is that you?"

Alvin puffed out a breath before looking away from Balan. "Yeah. Nice to see you too, Balan."

Balan smiled, looking delighted. "How did you--No, I won't ask how you got back to Elympios." He paused and looked down at Leia. Balan straightening, looking concerned. "What happened to her? No, don't tell me. Come on, we need to get her somewhere she can lie down properly."

Milla didn't question the man before gently scooping up Leia in her arms. The group trailed after Balan as he led them from the cliff side. As they moved, Elize surveyed the area.

The ground was a sandy red with thin yellowing grasses scattered through out. It was somewhat like the road to Xian Du--except that road had seemed alive. This trail...it seemed like it was dead. The scattered trees that looked like bones sticking out of the earth made it all the worse.

Elize grabbed Rowen's hand while clutching Teepo to her chest with her free arm. This place was almost scary because of that. Scary and sad.

They passed through what looked like a base of some kind. It reminded her uncomfortably of Fort Gandala, just in darker colors. Her grip on Rowen's hand tightened as they moved on to another road, this one just as bad as the one they had been on before if not worse.

Distantly, tall buildings inched over the horizon. They were large and tall like the ones in Fennmont and Kanbalar. However, as they got ever closer to the cluster of buildings, Elize realized that these buildings were far larger than the ones in either of those two cities.

And she was right, she thought, as they made their first steps into the city proper. Balan welcomed them to this city of Trigleph. Milla was stiff up ahead, her lips pursed. Elize wondered why she seemed so upset--Had she seen something bad? Or was Milla as worried about Leia and Jude as Elize was?

Elize would ask after they got to wherever Balan was leading them. She wondered if it was safe to trust this man--Alvin seemed to know him somehow, which just made Elize more on edge.

Rowen gave her hand a light squeeze as they enter the crowds of people. While the occasional person gives them odd looks they were mostly ignored. Elize guessed that it was because their outfits: Most of the clothes she'd seen so far looked...streamlined. Sort of like the buildings, actually. Were their clothes like that too?

She'd ask Rowen later.

When they made it to a crossroads, Elize peered down towards what seemed to be a gigantic building. From what she could see it was even bigger than Orda Palace! She wondered how many floors it had...Elize tilted her head up to ask Balan, but they were already moving on ahead. She 'eep'ed and hurried after them with Teepo grumbling about them needing to slow down from her arms.

The buildings Balan led them to were just as large as any of the others they had headed to. There was a playset nearby and a couple of kids were playing on it. Tugging on Rowen's sleeve, she asked him what they were doing. "It seems they're playing tag," He told her, his smile sad.

Like the kids in Hamil huh...? Rowen asked her if she wanted to play with them and she immediately shook her head. She can't...can't do that, right? Leia was still hurt and Jude was missing. How could she go off and play when her friends weren't okay? Teepo echoed her thoughts unhappily and Rowen's gaze softened. He touched her shoulder and gently led her back to where the others were waiting inside the apartment building.

Balan's apartment was nice, if small. It was only a little bigger than the basement she used to live in in Hamil, though it was a lot less cluttered. That fact surprised her because for some reason she'd gotten the vibe that Balan was a messy person. Milla walked past them to lay Leia in the bed, brushing hair from Leia's head injury. Elize sat down on the floor next to Leia's bed, Teepo extracting himself from her arms.

"Will Leia be okay?" Elize whispered. Rowen knelt down next to her and squeezed her shoulder. That was answer enough and Elize swiped at her eyes. She can't cry. Leia will be fine, so she has to be a big girl and heal everyone until Leia wakes up.

Behind her, Rowen had returned the conversation with whatever Milla, Balan, and Alvin were talking about. Probably something important, but Elize couldn't bring herself to care. All she wanted now was for Leia to wake up and Jude to come back safe and sound. They were her friends! And she hadn't been able to help either of them.

Tears burned her eyes again and she wiped at them again. Crying is for babies. She's not a baby. "I bet Jude is kicking Maxwell's butt." Teepo suddenly chirped, bumping his head against her cheek. "Just wait, when we get there Jude is going to have Maxwell asking to be our friend! And then Gaius and Muzet will stop being mean too."

Elize sniffed and nodded. "Y-yeah! And then we can all be friends instead of fighting."

"Except for Alvin, the big fat liar." Teepo grumbled. She poked Teepo to try and show her displeasure at the rudeness: Sure, she wasn't happy with Alvin either, but she was just going to not talk to him! So there wasn't any point in talking about him right.

She looked up as Milla came over. "Elize, would you like to come with me? I don't wish to stay here for too long." Milla probably didn't like all the spyrix, right? Elize looked at Leia nervously. She didn't want to leave Leia just yet. "Leia will be fine," Milla said voice soft, "She's strong: We just need to believe in her, alright?"

"...Jude too?" Elize whispered.

Milla nodded and Elize swallowed. She wanted to be of use to her friends, but she can't do anything for Leia now. So...she should help Milla, then, right? With that thought Elize stood up. She'll...help Milla! Even if it was just to give her some company outside.

Balan bid them goodbye while Alvin and Rowen spoke in low voices at the table. Elize trailed after Milla, Teepo floating around her head. As they walked down to the main hall of the building, passing through the elevator, she saw a young girl and old lady talking with one another.

Without thinking, Elize approached them, curious. "Grandma, can I really not go out and play?" The girl pouted at the old woman. So the old woman was her grandmother, huh...? Elize wondered what that was like. Was it like her and Rowen?

"Lolli, you know you have to have your aspyrixius recalibrated before you can go out and do that," The grandmother said, poking the young girl on the nose. Lolli, the girl, puffed out her cheeks just as Milla slipped past Elize. Elize started: What was Milla doing?

"Excuse me," Milla said, voice calm, "But did you say aspyrixius?" Huh? Why was that important? Elize tilted her head before stepping up behind Milla. She was curious about what this was about.

Lolli popped up from her seat on the small couch. "Yeah! Both me and grandma have aspyrixius!!" She was about to go on but stopped to cough thickly. Elize gave her a concerned look: That coughing didn't sound good...In fact, it made her think of all the bad coughs Jude and Leia had talked about and mimicked for her. 

Her grandmother patted Lolli's leg as the girl sat back down on the couch, still coughing. "It's all thanks to aspyrixius and Doctor Mathis that we can go about normal lives. It is too bad he died on the Zenethra..." The grandmother sighed. "His future seemed so bright..."

Elize had frozen at the first mention of 'Mathis'. "D-did you say Mathis?" Elize stuttered, shocked. Both Lolli and the grandmother seemed bewildered by this response as they glanced at each other.

Milla's hand fell on Elize's shoulder. "They did, Elize. I'm afraid I don't know much about the doctor," Milla said, aiming the last part at thee the grandmother, "Do you suppose you could point me towards someplace I can learn more? I have...much to thank him for as well." Her hand flicked over her right leg.

Oh. Milla did have an aspyrixius on her leg, didn't she?

"Ah, I'm afraid the only place you can learn about him would be the library on the technology drive." The grandmother looked apologetic. Milla nodded and thanked her for her help before stepping away, one hand on her chin in thought.

Teepo fluttered up to Milla. "Hey! Why did you let Elize ask them who they were talking about?" Elize hissed 'Teepo!' even as Milla gave the doll a light pat.

She shook her head. "They'd wonder why we were being nosy--We can't afford just anyone finding out we're from Rieze Maxia. As such, we need to head to the library..."

Huh?

"You want to know too?" Elize asked, surprised. She supposed it made sense: Jude's dad had apparently helped Milla after her injuries in Fort Gandala.

There was a strange look on Milla's face. Elize opened her mouth to ask what was with that scary look when she heard foot steps. She looked up and blinked as the sight of Leia. Her heart leapt into her throat and she ran to Leia. Teepo yelped something about Leia needing to still be resting but Elize didn't pay any attention to him, for the first.

Elize threw her arms around Leia's waist, ignoring the soft ooph. "You're okay!" Elize sobbed into Leia's white jacket. "I was so scared...You were bleeding everywhere."

Leia patted Elize's back with a deep sigh, rubbing comforting circles against it. "Sorry for worrying you. Especially because of what happened," Leia said her voice shaking slightly, "I didn't mean to get hurt like that. I actually tried to land on my shoulder, but I guess I must've landed wrong."

She clung to Leia's waist for a few more minutes as Leia and Milla spoke. Teepo had decided to lean on Leia's shoulder--mainly because a Teepo Chomp would probably just reopen her head wound. Above her Milla mentioned the library and Elize looked up, finally pulling herself free.

"To look up that Doctor Mathis right?" Elize asked, tugging on Milla's hand. She tilted her head as the strange look from earlier returned to Milla's look. What was that look about anyway? She'd never seen that look on another face.

Milla sighed and placed a hand on Elize's head. "Something like that. I also wish to see if I can find out more information on this Other World Reactor plan." She looked to Leia. "We hear about someone named Mathis earlier--He was apparently a doctor that died on the Zenethra."

As Leia bounced, both of her hands in the air in a cheer, Alvin and Rowen appeared with Balan trailing on their heels. "Leia, do not push yourself too much." Rowen scolded. "While you can get up and move around, you should still take care not to hurt yourself further." Alvin crossed his arms and nodded once, his gaze stuck on a point behind Leia's head.

"Myself, Leia, and Elize will be going to the Library in this...Technology Drive. Alvin, Rowen, what shall you two do?" Milla tilted her head questioningly at them.

Rowen clasped his hands behind his back. "I shall be going to replenish our stock of gels, life bottles, and other supplies. Alvin shall accompany, correct?" Rowen peered at Alvin out of the corner of his eyes. Alvin nodded shortly, silent as the grave. Balan elbowed him discreetly and muttered something to him that caused the man to roll his eyes at the elder.

After Milla nodded Balan spoke up. "I shall be heading to my work at Helioborg but I can show you to the library in the Technology Drive along the way--You'll be able to return to the apartment on your own from there, right?"

"Don't worry about us! As long as we can stay together, we can do anything." Leia cheered, one hand punched into the air. Elize eyed her worriedly: She might not know Leia as well as Jude did, but she could still tell that there was something wrong with Leia. Did Milla notice too? Was that why she said Leia could come with them.

With decision made, the group split in two. Balan once more took the role of guide as they made their way towards the Technology Drive. Elize looked up wonderingly as they started heading towards the massive coal colored tower ahead of them. Was that thing the reason this area was called the Technology Drive?

Teepo scampered ahead, hovering to and fro as they dodged through crowds and stragglers. If he wasn't keeping just above everyone's head, Elize would be worried she'd lost him in the crowds. As it was, she was keeping one of her hands in Leia's: She really wanted to talk to Leia about what was wrong. Did it have something to do with Jude?

Jude being separated from them...She hoped that he was okay. Gaius wouldn't hurt him, would he? After everything that had happened since the Fezebel Marsh, Elize didn't know. Maybe if Jiao was there...Maybe he'd help keep Gaius in line. But Jiao was gone.

Just like Agria and Presa.

Elize's shoulders slumped as she tightened her grip on Leia's hand. She felt useless--that the people she cared about needed help and she couldn't do a thing to help any of them. Leia was sad, Jude wasn't here, Rowen seemed tired, and Milla was...she wasn't caught up with them.

She didn't know what Alvin had done to Leia and Jude. She didn't know what Muzet had done--what Leia and Jude had seen her do. And Milla didn't know what they'd all gone through after she'd died on the Zenethra.

As Elize pondered all this, the library loomed over her and the others. She started as Teepo rushed back to her side. "We're here already?" Elize wondered aloud. "I thought it'd take longer..." The old lady had made it sound like it was so far away.

Balan chuckled before bidding them goodbye, apparently heading to work. And with that, the group of three headed into the library, Teepo hovering over them like a strange guardian angel.

"So many books..." Elize marveled. She had seen something similar in Orda Palace but it had been so brief that she hadn't had to time to truly take it in. Now however, she ahd the strongest urge to just rush around and look at every book she could.

Leia huffed a laugh. "They have a library in Leronde but it isn't even a quarter as big as this one. Heck, I bet with these shelves--" Shelves that seemed to double as support for the building itself. "--you could only feel one half way with the amount of books in that library."

In all honesty the building itself looked similar to the spirit arte made ones in Nia Khera, just on a grander scale. Elize wondered how old the building was as Milla approached one of the employees.

Elize just wanted to stay and explore for a little bit. It's not as if they had an actual deadline to...whatever it was Gaius wanted to do. For all they knew they had years until Gaius made his move in Elympios. Not that they'd wait that long of course.

Even with that thought, she knew that had to get to work. Find out about the Other World Reactor plan and the Doctor Mathis on the Zenethra. Milla said that the Other World Reactor plan sounded recent and would be easier to find so she would look for information on it. That left her and Leia on the subject of Doctor Mathis.

"So we need to find the reports on the Zenethra first!" Leia declared and scuttled to the newspaper archive. Elize trailed after, confused. There was a newspaper archive? Did all libraries have those? She supposed she could ask later.

Flicking through the papers to find the year was hard, especially as Elympios seemed to not only have a different calendar but a different year. Leia found the most recent newspaper by asking a librarian shelving books just outside the archive. From there the duo counted back twenty years and then started flicking through the pile to find one that mentioned the Zenethra.

Eventually they pinned down four newspapers. Elize yawned as she flipped through a newspaper. She was nodding off when Leia suddenly yelped loudly. In response, she knocked her knees against the table as she started right out of her drowsy rest. "W-what?"

Leia leaned over and jabbed at the picture on the newspaper in front of Elize. Elize looked down at it bewildered. It said 'obituary' and Elize wrinkled her nose: What did that mean? She wished that someone had taught her what it meant already.

As she thought this, Leia jabbed at the picture some more. "That's Jude's dad!" She finally managed to say between her excited squeaks. "Why is he in an Elympian newspaper, let alone an obituary?"

Elize leaned closer before she said, "It says he died on the Zenethra, along with...hundreds of other people. But they only mention Doctor Mathis, the Svents, and a few other people by name..." Was it because they were important in Elympios?

She asked Leia this and the other girl leaned back, clearly thinking hard. "I...guess so. It'd make sense! Maybe that's why Gilland ended up leading Exodus? `Cause he's important in Elympios?"

"What a jerk!" Teepo grumbled. "Throwing around power just `cause he thinks he's important..."

Leia snickered. "Sounds kind of like Gaius, to be honest. That guy likes to act like just because he's the king that means everyone has to do what he says no questions asked. Ugh! Being a leader means listening to your citizens!"

The older girl crossed her arms and huffed in irritation. Elize and Teepo looked at each other and shared a laugh. Leia squawked and fussed at them, ruffling Elize's hair. There was a shared giggling moment which was hushed by a passing librarian.

The two quietly tossed jokes about silly things the party had done until rather suddenly Milla was at their shoulders, one of her blond eyebrows ticked up in curiosity. Elize flushed in embarrassment. Had they been caught not working? Granted they had already found what they had been looking for.

"Did you find it?" Milla asked, tossing her hair back. "The information regarding that Doctor Mathis on the Zenethra?"

Elize glanced at Leia before taking the lead. "The obituaries mentioned him being called Derrick Mathis and that he died on the Zenethra like everyone else..."

Leia nodded sharply. "We already knew that was what Elympios seems to think happened with the people on the Zenethra but I didn't expect to see Jude's dad in that paper. Name, picture, age...it all matches that Doctor Mathis."

Milla nodded. "Alright. Now--What I learned about the Other World Reactor plan is that they planned to use Rieze Maxia as some source of energy. From what I can gather there's be dissent on the subject since it was first brought up regarding ethical issues..."

"The people. Us." Leia whispered. Milla nodded.

Teepo bounced, clearly upset. "But what about spirits?! They're people too!"

The oldest of the trio shook her head, her thick hair swaying in the wind. "It seems they only see Spirits as an energy source--Similar to how we see Mana." There was a quiet consensus between the three before they began to clean up the area.

As Elize put away the last of the newspapers, Leia said, "Are we gonna head back to Balan's place now?" Elize turned just in time to see Milla nod at Leia.

"Can we pick up some ice cream?" Elize asked shyly. "I...I heard some of the librarians talking about it while I was looking for the newspapers. And...And everything has been really bad recently so..."

Milla smiled and patted her gently on the head. "Well, I think that's fine. What do you think, Leia?"

"Sounds great!" Leia punched a hand into the air as she ignored the hissing of 'be quiet!' from nearby patrons.

Elize beamed as they stepped out of the building and into the slowly darkening city of Trigleph.

* * *

Alvin sighed as he leaned back, clicking his tongue. His eyes felt heavy as he half huddled over his bag of supplies. He wanted to go back and rest for a hundred years in the apartment--but he couldn't just leave to do that yet.

Ha.

Like that was the worst of his worries: He'd screwed up majorly in Hamil to the point no one trusted him anymore. He didn't blame then as Alvin himself had a hard time trusting his own motives. And then everything in the Temporal Crossroads happened.

First, they thought Jude was dead, fallen to his death. Alvin would've comforted Elize after if he felt she would have even accepted it. Instead he curled up on himself, trying not to let himself fall apart. Then they arrived in the strange water like ground floor of the temporal crossroads and saw Jude, alive if not well.

And then the world had exploded and everything fell apart again. Yes, Milla was back but Jude was...Jude might as well be dead now. Alvin could easily liken his current state to being similar to after...after the Zenethra.

At least it seemed like Rowen wasn't going to leave him alone any time soon.

Granted, Alvin mused, that was because he didn't trust Alvin not to do something unwise. Smart, really, considering right now the only reason Alvin hadn't wandered off to get himself killed was the group or his cousin. The situation so far was bad enough without him making it worse (like he usually did).

Rowen slipped through the crowds towards him as he thought this. Behind him, to Alvin's muted surprise, was Leia, Milla and Elize. He frowned at Leia being up and about: Even if he only considered her head injury, she shouldn't be exerting herself. Of course, did he have any room to talk about that? It's not like he'd really slept much since Hamil...

Ah, they're talking. Alvin frowned. It seemed to be about the otherworld reactor plan--one he already had intimate knowledge of. He's not surprised Milla hadn't asked him about it, though, considering everything that had happened.

"Alvin looks like he's dead." The lovely Teepo decided to comment, getting too close to his face for Alvin's comfort. As long as he didn't 'Teepo Chomp' him...

He smirked. "Hey, isn't that a little presumptuous, Spud?" Teepo grumbled something about 'Big Fat Liars' and returned to Elize, who frowned unhappily at him. Alvin saw Milla also frown at him out of the corner of his eye. Ah, well. He was pretty sure he was doing a good job keeping them off his tail when it came to his own health.

Milla might still ask later.

Well, that was later. For now, maybe he could do a 'good deed' by distracting the others with those soldiers--who all seemed to be escorting some researchers from somewhere. Considering the way they'd come from...there was only Helioborg in that direction right?

Alvin froze mid step. Balan. Balan worked at Helioborg. Unconsciously he started searching for Balan in the crowd of escorted researchers. Nothing, no one he knew.

Not there.

Shit.

It was probably a sign that he didn't have enough energy when he didn't notice himself moving until he was in front of one of the guards--no soldiers. They were definitely soldiers, not just simple guards. Not surprising, as Helioborg was a military research facility.

...His thoughts were wandering.

"Hey, what's going on?," Alvin said, not really thinking about what was coming out of his mouth, "Something happen at Helioborg?"

The soldier narrowed his eyes at Alvin. It seemed like he was about brush Alvin aside when a researcher near him blurted, "Someone attacked the facility!"

Alvin let out a breath as the soldier scolded the researcher. Behind him, several pairs of footsteps alerted him to the party catching up to him. "Helioborg has been attacked?" Milla was the first to speak and Alvin saw her expression was very serious out of the corner of his eye.

"I-it was a man and a floating woman..." The researcher stuttered out, not meeting the soldier's eyes as she spoke. Leia whispered Gaius and Muzet's names, her gaze turned towards the highroad that led to the military facility. Then she was walking that way, only stopping when he, the soldier, and the other party members raised objections.

Leia tilted her chin up as if daring them to argue. "I'm going to go and help. Even if it is only just helping the last of the researchers get home, I want to help." Alvin could almost hear the 'Jude would've done it' in her voice.

He squeezed his eyes shut. Leaving Leia to go alone was stupid--She still had her head injury to think of. But it was so like her to be stubborn and go off on her own.

"It seems Balan is still there as well." Milla murmured as she stepped past Alvin, her heels clicking over the din of the crowd. "We owe him for saving us this morning. So shall we return the favor?" Her crimson gaze met Alvin's and he suddenly knew that she was doing. She was giving him an out: a way to help Balan without dropping his facade.

Alvin looked away. Yeah, every second that passed he couldn't help but think he was getting even more pathetic. Enough so that even the spud could tell he wasn't doing so hot at the moment. If he was going to make up for what he'd done, though, he had to just power through it. It wouldn't be the first time he'd done it either.

It seemed Milla's word was law however as they were all making their way down the highroad, ignoring the warnings from the soldiers and researchers they passed along the way. Along the path are the remains of defeated monsters as they faded away--it as probably only because of those that the monsters didn't attack them. It's not like they had a holy bottle like Balan had had before.

 

He hoped they could get there and back before it got any later than it already was. Alvin also hoped they wouldn't be getting into any fights--and now that he'd thought that they would be getting into a fight, wouldn't they?

That's usually how it worked, right?

Once they arrived at the facility Alvin and Rowen started getting their supplies put away in the separate bags. Alvin was just thankful they've thought to bring them along from the get go instead of leaving them in Balan's apartment. He was fairly sure he'd have collapsed if they had gone back.

After getting their supplies put away, the party made their way into the facility. The main courtyard was deserted--and the damage from the attack was obvious everywhere. There were some craters in the floor, likely from Muzet's spirit artes. What was even more telling was the deep slashes in all of the storage crates.

Peering in one, Alvin spotted the remains of spyrix. So these were spyrix storage crates, huh? That explained the attacks on them specifically. Gaius had seemed very anti spyrix after all.

What was a little strange was the damage that couldn't be connected to Gaius or Muzet. One could attribute the small bits of broken spyrix scattered in craters and on undamaged ground to Muzet's destruction or even Gaius stomping on them but the latter didn't seem Gaius' style. Alvin narrowed his eyes as he picked one of the crushed spyrix up.

"This doesn't look like it was all Gaius and Muzet," Alvin said.

Milla stepped up to his side to take the spyrix from him. "Hm...Wingul, perhaps? Or even Maxwell himself--" She paused and tilted her head as if listening to someone. Probably the Four. Had Jude felt distinctly out of the loop when he'd first met Milla? Alvin hoped he'd get a chance to ask (and that Jude would be able to answer).

When Milla frowned Alvin mirrored her. She...didn't seem happy about something. "Milla?" Elize asked, her voice quiet. "W-what's wrong?"

The woman shook her head. "Later. First, let's find the last of the researchers, including Balan, and return to Trigleph." With that new goal in mind the group of five made their way through the research facility.

Someone had set off the security spyrix as many of the defensive spyrix were roaming the maze that was Helioborg. Some of them resembled the spyrix that had been on the Zenethra--but these were sleeker, more dangerous. Alvin tossed any of them that came too close to either Elize or Leia. Elize was too small and fragile to take a hit from one of those and Leia...well.

He didn't have to mention her injury again did he?

It was after tossing a broken spyrix into a wall that they saw the soldier lying in her own blood. Rowen was careful when he picked her up an Elize started channeling healing artes into the woman's injuries.

Milla knelt down next to them. "What happened here?" Her voice was commanding and calming at once and even Alvin felt himself standing at attention.

The soldier tried to push herself up gingerly but Rowen scolded her for doing so. There was no point in pulling open her wound any further than she already had. She closed her eyes and breathed heavily around the wound. "A group of people appeared and...Attacked us and destroyed half the stock...

"A group? Two men and a woman, perhaps?" The soldier gave an exhausted nod and opened her mouth as if to say something more before but coughed sharply. Elize and Leia were now working in tandem to repair the worst of the woman's injuries. Once they were done the soldier heaved a deep breath.

She seemed a lot more relaxed now that the injuries were healed. "A man, a woman, and young boy. They all destroyed the spyrix in the Torbalan warehouse. None of them said anything to us, no demands, no declarations. Just destruction."

Boy?

Alvin felt a chill run down his spine as he grimaced. As far as he was aware, Gaius didn't know any young boys, let alone ones that could cause this much damage.

(At least, he didn't know any that would willingly do it.)

Against their better judgement they let the soldier leave on her own. Hopefully her status as a soldier would protect her from the security spyrix. Either way, they had to keep going--and they were going to follow her parting advice.

"They took one of the experimental spyrites--I think they activated it and it's been on the rampage since," She had said seriously, "They might still be up there but I do not know--All I know is that the spyrite is dangerous and you need to be careful."

While the term Spyrite was a new one to most of the party, it had felt like something Alvin should already know. Where had he heard it before...?

Either way, the search for the building that would lead them to Volt took almost half a hour. Hopefully Balan and the rest of the researcher weren't dead--but Alvin was already trying to come to terms that his last family might be dead now.

That he had no more family to speak of.

Alvin puffed out a breath when they found the research center. It was at least ten floors and the top was crackling with a strange energy. "Think that's it?" Alvin mused, eyeing the top.

"It makes the most sense." Leia chirped before heading into the center. No one seemed to mind following after her as Alvin shrugged lightly. They could look forever, he supposed, and never find what they're looking for. Which, in this case, was the spyrite and then hopefully Balan and the last researchers in Helioborg.

The way up was once more blocked by security spyrix--some the large sleek spyrix and others were the small slender ones that were more about speed than strength. Jude's snap pivot would've been useful, Alvin thought as he broke the enemy's guard, though his speed generally would be useful against brutes like the security spyrix.

Alvin could feel himself starting to lag as they reached the upper floors. He was regretting not sleeping now because he was rapidly becoming a burden on the others. Yet he couldn't bring himself to ask for a break or for a quick healing: Hadn't he already asked for far too much from the others?

It was when they finally reach the final floor which was when Milla decided to was time to take a break that Alvin let out a deep breath. "We've been fighting nonstop for over 24 hours." Milla's expression was serious. "We all need to take a break to recover and so we can keep our wits about ourselves, understood?"

Resting was nice but Alvin kept his gun digging into his leg to keep himself from falling asleep. A break was not nap time. 

He started as Leia touched his arm. "Hey," Leia said, eyeing him with a frown, "We haven't healed you up yet, Alvin. We all need to be at one hundred percent when we go out there."

Alvin shrugged. "Sure, go ahead kid." He smirked. "I won't bite."

Leia rolled her eyes and began searching for injuries. There weren't any that bad, thankfully. Alvin's problem was about his current energy levels, not his injuries.

(Well, it might be soon.)

Once she was finished she opened an orange gel and pressed it to Alvin's lips. Confused, he opened his mouth and ate the orange gel. While he didn't immediately feel completely awake, he definitely felt a surge of energy that wasn't going to last for longer than few hours at best. And that wasn't taking into account the fight they were most likely about to enter.

He stood and rolled his shoulders, surprising Leia. "Hey, I wasn't done!" She protested, pointing at him.

"Sorry, kiddo." Alvin grinned at her. "But we can't hang around here too long. Gotta get going and take that spyrite before things get too bad." As if to punctuate his point, the thunder crackled outside on the rooftop balcony.

Leia clicked her tongue but couldn't argue that point. Ha, looks like he had won this one. Usually he'd have to tease the hell out of her before she gave in--Guess she was growing up in her own way.

Milla, Elize, and Rowen looked up in tandem as Alvin walked over to them. Wow, that was creepy. He smirked at them and gave them a mocking two fingered salute. "Already, you guys ready?"

Judging by the varying nods and murmurs of agreement it seemed like everyone was ready to tango with that spyrite. Alvin puffed out an amused breath and the party gather together for the final fight of the day. Rolling his shoulders, he and the group walked through the door.

The other side was a nightmare of lightning and thunder. Old fears from Alvin's childhood rumbled in his chest as he fell into a battle stance. "Time to get this party started, huh." To his surprise, Milla didn't try to reason with the spyrite. Instead, like him, she fell into a battle stance. He could hear Leia's staff extending and Rowen's rapier unsheathing. Teepo was already taunting the spyrite without hesitation.

Guess it was really was time to get started.

Alvin fired and the spyrite screeched in response. It bounced around the balcony in a sphere of lightning and Alvin rolled to avoid it. To his right, Leia was throwing a Soulstoke Celebration into its face. Elize and Rowen had backed off to the furthest corners of the rooftop to avoid the bouncing ball of thunder, but Alvin had a feeling it had long range attacks.

Well, only way to stop that was keeping it distracted by short range fighters.

He dove forward and fired at his arms while Leia spun around and above him like a flash of light. As fast as Jude had been--the thought of Jude made his attacks stutter for a second. Long enough for him to get tossed like a rag doll across the rooftop and into the building wall.

Alvin coughed at the pain and the feeling of fractured bones. Yep, those were his ribs alright. Grimacing he raised his gun and continued firing until he had to reload. Elize's Negative Gate tore open the spyrite's shielding and Alvin fired again and again. He only stopped when Leia entered his range of sight.

He didn't want to accidentally shoot her.

It was with that thought in mind that he forced himself to his feet. Pain shot through his chest as he moved forward, his blade aimed for the spyrite's chest. If he didn't want to shoot Leia on accident (again, again, again) then he needed to fight melee style.

Of course, he hadn't been expecting the lightning shielding to come back up mid strike. Alvin felt himself become a mini lightning rod--and then there was nothing but blissful oblivion.

Alvin didn't get long to enjoy that bless as he felt the pain flare again in his chest and the world rush back into view, with Leia's face hovering inches above his. He barely heard her whispering his name over the ringing in his ears and the faint echo of dying thunder. "L-Leia...?"

"Hey, moron." Leia managed to say. "We beat Volt."

Volt? Had that been the spyrite they'd been fighting. Alvin struggled to sit up and managed to do so with Leia's help. "Okay...We beat it. What now?" Alvin grumbled as he touched his chest.

Leia grimaced and she looked to someone nearby. Milla? Rowen? When Alvin looked, it was neither of them, nor was it Elize.

It was Gaius.

Behind him a portal swirled purple and blue and Muzet slipped out after him, carrying a serene facade. Muzet was anything but serene--it was the third person that followed them that made Alvin do a double take.

At first he didn't recognize him. He was barefoot and had a simple cloak with golden gears decorating the bottom half of it. Around his waist was what looked like a mechanical belt with something attached to the back--it made it look like a long metal tail. Alvin's gaze went up to meet the boy's eyes--Silver gray, with a ring of amber around the pupils.

All in all, he looked nothing like Jude Mathis, save for the shape of his face and his dark simple hairstyle.

Leia, though, recognized him on sight. "Jude...?"

No reaction. In fact, he seemed indifferent to them, like as far as he was concerned they meant nothing to him or the world around them.

Alvin grit his teeth, suddenly furious. What the hell? Why would Jude act like this? Before he could say anything Milla spoke. "I was wondering when you'd appear."

"Interesting. I didn't expect you to be here, in Helioborg," Gaius said. What? So he expected them to be in Elympios...?

Muzet floated near Gaius' side. "So you truly did come to Elympios." Alvin narrowed his eyes: So someone had told them they were here in Elympios? Who could've told them that?

Rowen stroked his beard, his eyes also narrowed on the trio before them. "So you were the ones to activate the spyrite, hm? What exactly was your motive for doing so?"

"I did so as to prove that spyrites are not viable--After all, they are something you would all consider an option." The way he said it made Alvin angry--Mocking and self-confident, like he knew they'd failed somehow.

Milla shook her head. "Volt was a great spirit. Do you really expect a great spirit to tether so easily with a human?" Gaius scoffed while Milla shook her head. It was clear to Alvin that Milla wasn't going to listen to Gaius and vice versa.

Instead, it seemed she'd set her eyes on Jude. "Jude are you alright?" Milla asked, her crimson eyes trying to meet Jude's gaze. But the latter was looking out onto the horizon, ignoring the party and their words. She tried a couple more times before Gaius shook his head.

"Stop." Gaius raised a hand. "We were speaking of Rieze Maxia's future--"

"--A future that you would create on the bodies of Elympios." Milla snapped, her voice sharp. "You plan to destroy spyrix, correct? Yet to do so would send this nation into a spiral of anarchy. Everyone here would die."

The king was shaking his head. Alvin stifled a scoff--Gaius hadn't bothered to learn anything about Elympios had he? If he had then perhaps he would actually listen to what Milla and they had to say. Gaius was speaking, he realized. Asking Milla to join him and Alvin scolded.

"No." Milla said nothing more to Gaius, instead returning her gaze to Jude. "Jude, do you truly believe in what Gaius is saying?"

Nothing from Jude. Well, nothing that wasn't him turning his back and walking through the portal. Alvin clenched his hands. Was Jude really going to fight them? It'd only been a day and yet...he'd somehow become an enemy.

Gaius was shaking his head. "It seems we have nothing more to say to one another. Goodbye for now, Milla Maxwell." And then he and Muzet followed Jude back into the portal.

"Jude...." Leia whispered.

Alvin huffed and he forced himself to his feet, startling Leia out of her funk. She stood as well and caught him as he stumbled from the dizzy spell from standing up too fast. "I'm fine." Alvin shook her off.

Before she could get mad at him they heard someone yelling 'Alfred!' from above. The party looked up and spotted a certain someone waving at them from a stopped elevator. Alvin was not at all surprised to find Balan grinning at them.

"He's having the time of his life." Alvin grumbled as Milla made her way over to the elevator. Guess it was time to climb up there and get him and others free from the stopped elevator.

It took almost two hours to get them all down. Balan seemed pleased once they had--and then told them about the spyrites. Rather, about the difference between Volt and the lesser spirit class spyrites that the people they had helped saved held.

Milla seemed pleased by this discover and less tense--less tense than she had been since seeing Gaius, Muzet, and Jude.

"It's time to return to the city, correct?" Milla spoke up as she walked away from Balan. "There's something I wish to speak of with the others, privately. Is it alright if we go ahead to do that, Balan?"

Balan chuckled as he stretched. "It's fine, yes. I'll meet up with you at the apartment when I get back--which should not be long after you all do." He waved goodbye and Milla just kept on walking. Alvin shrugged and shook his head. At least this meant he'd finally get a chance to rest.

(He was really regretting his not sleeping earlier.)

"What's wrong, Milla?" Elize asked as she jogged to catch up with the woman.

Milla's pace seemed to stutter for a moment before she said, "I asked the Four to keep an eye out for Jude when we left earlier, on the off chance he'd ended up somewhere else in Elympios. Unfortunately, it seems that will be somewhat difficult for them to keep an eye out for him."

Leia seemed to find the ground very interesting. "Because he's with Gaius in the Temporal Crossroad?"

To their surprise, Milla shook her head. "No. Even when Jude was standing before us...The Four could barely sense his mana signature. I don't know what's happened but right now...whoever that was, they were not Jude Mathis."

* * *

"I wanted to talk with them."

"No."

"You...I don't understand why you refuse to let me speak with my friends. I don't understand why you're siding with Gaius. Why?"

"I wish to protect Rieze Maxia--Something I thought you of all the world would understand."

"What Gaius will do will put Rieze Maxia in danger too!"

"....If that day comes then I shall do what I must to protect Rieze Maxia."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finger guns i'm sorry this is so late, oh man. Alvin's part gave me a lot of trouble because Alvin has this tendency to be kind of dark in his mental thoughts but on the outside he teases the heck outta people. It's especially bad during end game x1.  
> If you have any questions head over [here](http://dreamerdarkrequiem.tumblr.com/) and throw `em at me, okay?


	3. Milla I & Rowen I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gasp an update?!
> 
> beta`d by my friend Laura!!!

Milla clicked her tongue as she slid her sword out of the dead monster. 

While she had been glad for the rest that night--having spent over 24 hours the day before fighting and having some rather emotional breakdowns all around--she'd needed it. And so had the others. Considering Leia still hadn't gotten enough sleep, Milla worried that they would just slow down too much for anyone's safety for this little checkup they were doing for Balan.

Balan had asked them to go and check up on a small excavation team that had gone to some ancient mines. Apparently they had lost communication with them shortly before Gaius had made his way into Elympios and caused the chaos he had in Helioborg. They had yet to return communications so Balan had asked them to help out in return for staying at his apartment. Milla had no qualms against it. They were taking up space, yes? It was only proper to do something in exchange.

It didn't change the fact that Milla wished Leia had stayed behind to rest longer. The younger girl had been running herself ragged since they had run into Gaius, Muzet, and...Jude...in Helioborg. Milla could only hope that this didn't cause problems for Leia herself and the others later on.

She looked up as the others finished off their respective monsters. Elize was clearly fighting for second place when it came to who was the most tired--and Milla couldn't blame her. Considering Elize had been the one that had been holding onto Jude when he fell...She probably blamed herself still.

Someone needed to speak with her. From what she knew, the others had tried already but had failed to reassure the young girl that it wasn't her fault. Perhaps the only way to complete convince the girl that it was indeed not her fault would be to get Jude to do it. But that was currently impossible: Ignoring the fact that he had been with Gaius and Muzet, Jude had been outright acting strange. As if none of them, not even Leia, meant a thing to him.

And if the Four were to be believed...that was not Jude.

She sighed through her nose as she let her sword be dismissed to her lilium orb, turning her focus to her friends. The others were all doing different things; whether they be patching one another up or looking out for more monsters.

"Rowen." Milla approached him. "Have you seen any sign of the excavation team? Old tents, monsters corpses...?"

Rowen shook his head. “I’m afraid not.” She pursed her lips. If Rowen hadn't spotted anything, then there likely wasn't anything to be found that they hadn't already found. Trails, some abandoned fires, and old campsites...but the tiny handful of things they had found were leading them to the site the team had supposedly been heading to when they lost communications with said team.

She looked up as Rowen hummed. "We may not have found anything more, but if we continue where the site is meant to be we might find the team." Or whatever is left of them was left unsaid. After all, if they hadn't contacted anyone then it was likely they weren't alive anymore.

"I know," She said aloud, "We should keep moving. Even if we can't find the team, we will at least have evidence of where they last were. Balan will appreciate that, at the very least."

Rowen nodded in agreement when Elize suddenly jogged over, looking excited. Behind her trailed Leia and then Alvin in their shadows. Milla turned her attention to the youngest member of the group: Even if she couldn't convince the girl that what happened with Jude wasn't her fault, she could at least encourage the girl's self-esteem. "Elize, did you find something?"

Elize made an aborted gesture to grab Teepo before she shuffled her feet. "U-um. T-teepo found a cave....we thought we should back and tell you....because you stayed behind." She shuffled her feet and Leia behind he seemed to stifle the urge to wrap the girl up in a tight hug.

Milla empathized with that urge.

"Than we should head to that cave, alright? There may be something from the excavation team there." With that, the group headed back towards the cave that the younger half of the party had found.

There was an almost ominous sense from the cave entrance when they arrived. It made Milla pause: The sense from the cave...it made the Four uneasy. Why? She really did need to sit down and talk to them soon. Not only for this but also for what they said in regards to Jude. She needed to know more.

With that thought in mind, Milla took lead into the cave--and regretted it. The oppressive air inside made Milla want to vomit. The Four whispered in her ears: Poison. Where? In the air itself? But how could that be? They had only just entered the cave. Even if a gas vain had been breached somehow, it still shouldn't cloud up in the entry way of a cave like it was.

It was almost as if it was...trapped within the cave itself.

"This isn't a cave." Leia's voice broke through the gloom. "It's a mine."

Alvin stepped up next to Leia and it was with a jolt that Milla realized the others had entered with her. Milla returned her gaze to the mine. Now that she looked at the cave herself she too could see signs of the mine it was. Oddly enough though, what caught her attention was not the supports that looked broad new but the purple fog hovering in the tunnels.

"Balan didn't say anything about a mine would he mentioned the excavation team." Alvin's voice echoed back to them from the tunnels ahead.

Speaking of the tunnels ahead...Milla spied a distant light. "We'll talk to him about it when we return, Alvin," Milla said absentmindedly, "For now there seems to be something ahead."

Covering her mouth with one hand as if to protect herself from the poisonous fog, she started walking in. After a few seconds of hesitation, the others followed in her path.

As she walked, the Four began to whisper into her ears once more. Small comments, things about the mine itself--but most important of all: A seal that they had created her millennia earlier to plug a leak of miasma.

A leak of miasma from where? She questioned.

They said nothing more.

In the resounding silence from the Four, they reach the flickering light: it was a torch, set off to the side of a young man. The other figure off to the side was an unconscious man with wispy white hair. Judging by the blood on the young man's hands, it was clear he'd been binding both of their wounds.

Their footsteps alerted the young man to their presence and he jerked around to face them, terror radiating from him. It took a few moments for the young man to recognize that there were people before him and not monsters salivating.

"Who a-are you?" He demanded, his fear causing his voice to tremble. He seemed to grope for a weapon or even just something to defend himself.

Milla tilted her head, her lips pursed as she stared at the young man. It was unlikely they were random travelers: If anything, they were likely the team they were searching for. But Balan had told them there was ten in the team, not a mere duo

She sighed.

"Balan sent us." Her tone was short and brokered no argument. "To find the excavation team that was sent out here a week ago. I don't suppose that would be you...two?"

His hesitation was clear, not that Milla could blame him. They were virtual strangers claiming to know Balan, a man that was a superior at best. Even then there was no guarantee that this was the team they had been searching for.

There were a few seconds of silence. And then the man spoke again. "...Y-yeah that's us. We didn't expect anyone to come looking. I--It's not safe here."

Well, at least he was talking them now. But...

"We'll be fine. We've dealt with dangerous things." She tilted her head. "I need to handle something deeper down in the tunnels: You can stay here and wait for us."

The man flailed his hands, clearly upset or even horrified by this offer. "B-b-b-but monsters! What if they come in or up--!"

Milla shook her head sharply. "No monster from the outside will approach this place. Monsters below...well, they'll be too busy with myself to think of coming up here."

He seemed like he wanted to argue more but looked at something behind her and fell silent. She raised an eyebrow before turning to the party. Even as she turned she had been ready to give them an out, a way to stay here while she deals with something Maxwell himself should've been paying attention to.

Her teeth clacked together before she could say a word: The others were each looking at her with a small smile across the board.

Oh.

Milla felt her lips pull into a smile against her will. Of course they'd want to come--and refuse to let her chase them away. As much as she wanted to tell them to let her and the Four handle it, Milla knew they wouldn't. They'd likely follow her without the protection she could give them from the Four. And considering the miasma would, at best, kill them...well, she couldn't let that happen.

"Let's go," she said, "We better clean up some more of Maxwell's messes." No one would if they didn't.

Alvin laughed at her comment, saying; "Could be worse--We could be picking up his groceries too." Leia snorted, the first laugh and truly bright smile since Jude had been seen; a smile of life and joy. Milla was glad to see her smile again.

With that Milla blessed the four humans and began their descent into the purple-tinged darkness. They stopped after the first ladder, Gnome laying down the first layer of the seal. Sylph would be next, as they slowly descended into the murky darkness of the miasma. But first, they must fight the monsters in their way to that seal, monsters that had mutated and changed under the miasma.

They walked deeper into the earth, monsters shrieking and moaning. Milla led the way into each battle, her sword flashing through the dark as she took down monsters with word and magic. The Four seemed to take great pleasure in helping her with the combat, each of them tearing into their targets when summoned with gusto. Milla wondered if they were happier to be with her, to be fighting, then with Maxwell, wherever he was or whatever he was doing.

As they fought, Milla noted that Leia was far more vicious in her attacks than she usually was, her staff sweeping across the field. Rowen and Elize's fighting remained unchanged while Alvin seemed almost more hesitant to fight in comparison to his previous fighting style. She wondered what had changed.

She truly did need to catch up with the events of the past couple weeks. Being out of the loop like this was dangerous--and made her worry for her companions.

Another seal was made and they descend further into the darkness of the mines. The last two would be harder--the first of them was hidden somewhere in the tunnels that branched and the final was deep at the end of the mine. Not that she had any idea how far that was from here.

Milla rubbed the sweat from her forehead as they stopped for a break. It wasn't going to be a long one of course, as the blessing from the Four would only last for so long. She took the chance to dust herself off and sidle up to Leia.

"Leia," She said, "I need to talk to you about something before we continue on to the last two seals."

The former nurse furrowed her brow as she turned to Milla. She didn't blame Leia for her confusion but... Leia tilted her head to her, her hands clasped behind her back. "Okay? What's up, Milla?" Leia asked.

She pushed her hair from her eyes. "Leia, you've been rather...aggressive since I rejoined the group. While I do know some of the basics I...That does not tell me what each of you individual felt during that time." During that time I was not there with you.

Leia pursed her lips and looked away, looking at the caverns ahead of them. She crossed her arms and for a moment she looked so much like Jude--which wasn't at all surprising to Milla. Of course, as childhood friends, they'd pick up some gestures from each other. "I don't--Really want to talk about it right now, Milla. I'd rather focus on the seals right now--and then focus on finding out what's up with Jude."

Milla watched her for a long moment before nodding: If Leia didn't want to talk about it, so she'll wait until she did. Until then, she'd just...cross her fingers that she won't say something insensitive.

Say what you will about her, but Milla would like to think she learned tact.

After that, the group rested in silence, with the faint distant echoes of monsters. Milla eventually stood and said, "It's time to head out to the last seals. Are you all ready to go?"

There was a smattering of nods and agreeing murmurs. Milla forced a smile and they forged on. There were more monsters to contend with, each group more mutated than the last. Milla took great pleasure in putting them out of their misery. The groans and growls from them spoke of the pain the mutations had put them through. That's what happens when you're infused with poison, huh?

As they reached the next seal point, Undine's magic circle appearing and soaked itself into the ground like water. Unsurprising from the Great Spirit of Water. Milla nodded at Undine as she faded back to...wherever the Four went to when their magic wasn't in use.

And then Elize coughed.

Milla spun around and kneeled next to the tiny girl. The blessing was still in place, but...it wasn't completely protecting them from the amount of miasma poisoning in the caves. There was just too much, even for the Four's blessing.

"It's okay, Elize." Milla placed a hand on Elize's head and the kindest smile she could manage. "We just need to get to the last seal and then the miasma will be sealed. We can go back to safety."

Elize nodded and Teepo yelped a cheer for Milla. That being said, the party made their way into the darkness of the mines. Once they stepped out of the final mine cavern, they found...a valley? There was a deep hole in the center of the cave, with shining blue crystals littering the cave walls. A waterfall crashed down into the hole, distantly.

At the spot in the center of the hole, where a plateau stood, a huge golden frog seemed to rest there. Milla frowned because it stood in the spot they needed to go to for the final seal. Which meant--Wonderful, they'd have to fight it. Milla let out a breath and peered at her friends: Each of them seemed to come to the same conclusion as her.

Milla nodded to them and the five of them descended down the rocky path one by one to the plateau. While they could easily go two by two on this path, the railing overlooking the gaping maw of a hole was rotted. Milla didn't want to chance anyone hitting it and falling over into the abyss of purple darkness below them.

As soon as their feet hit stone the golden frog spun on them, its eyes gleaming red through the purple fog. Milla called her sword and spun forward, her sword looking dull in the darkness. The frog squealed as her sword hit true and gunshots rang out around her: Alvin was right behind her, covering her as the other three began casting artes. Leia would come in next but--

The golden bell of Rowen's arte tolled before them. Milla rolled out of the way of the frog's convulsing limbs and backed away. If she got hit by one she could easily be knocked out in one shot with those massive heavy legs. Alvin, on the other hand, got closer, his broadsword held in a way to absorb any impacts he received from the frog. Milla moved in behind him, an arte burning at the tips of her fingers.

Elize's dark artes pummeled the golden frog and it slowly pulled itself back to its webbed feet. Milla and Alvin fell together into a familiar stance as she flared a link between them. A linked arte between them and she swirled up with magic as Alvin slammed his blade's flat first into the frog's side. It shrieked as its blood arced through the air.

Alvin tilted his blade to let Milla land on it. She quirked a smile as she landed delicately on the sword. Leia's cast arte ravaged the open wound and the frog made a paid wet sound that made Milla cringe. Even if it was basically a death wail it was still an uncomfortable sound to listen to.

She didn't watch it slump down dead, instead leaping from Alvin's sword. Nodding to him, the two of them slowly pushed the corpse off the plateau. It slipped off the side and Milla turned around with a tired smirk. The final seal was here and they could finally head out--Efreet himself was eager to burn the seal into the earth and head out into the fresh air.

Milla stepped forward and leaned down, her hand laid out on the stone. The fire circle extended from her hand eventually died down, the fire's magic circle clear on the stone. When she stood up, she nodded at the circle and looked up at the rest of the group. All of them looked like a heavy weight had been pulled off their shoulders as the purple haze around them faded away. "I think," She said, "We should head out."

The five of them took their time picking their way back up to the entrance. Milla squinted against the light that streamed from the opening to the overland. She puffed out as she stopped at the entrance. Just outside, the two people they'd talked to before descending into the darkness sat around, each of them looking tired. Milla was just glad to see that the elder of the two was awake now, no doubt better now that he's out of the miasma.

"Hello, you two." Milla nodded to them both and the younger, who had spoken with them earlier, jolted from his spot leaning against the wall.

He nodded back, tired. "Hello...So, I guess you survived."

Alvin grinned at the man, an almost nasty look in his eyes. "Yeah, we did. Sooo, when you two heading back to Helioborg?" Must he be so 

The man scowled. "When the professor can walk--got it? We'll go then." Elize peeked at him and opened her mouth before closing it, looking like she wanted to say something to him. The man frowned at her. "What do you want?"

"Eh?" Elize flinched. "I--I can heal him. He'll be better sooner and y-you'll both be safe." Milla frowned at her stuttering: Elize hadn't stuttered like that since she had first joined them, with Jude. She knew why, having Jude slipped right out of her grasp, but it wouldn't stop her from being distressed over it.

The man grumbled and nodded at Elize, clearly giving his permission to do that. However... The older man shook his head. "Don't...waste your spyrix on me. I can back to Helioborg, without being healed..." There was protesting 'Professor!' but Leia stepped forward, gently letting the old professor lean on her shoulder. He thanked her and it was decided without words that the seven of them would head to Helioborg together.

When they arrived at the furthest gate, the guards almost panicky as they took the professor and man away inside the research facility. Hopefully, Milla mused, to the medical wing.

They would have followed, but a male voice that Milla was well acquainted with spoke up. "Hello, Milla Maxwell." Milla spun around and there was Gaius, framed by the desert wastelands of Elympios. She scowled at the dark clothed man, who just seemed amused by all of their reactions to his appearance.

"What are you doing here?" Leia's voice was venomous as she glared viciously at the king. She was--far too angry. Someone needed to talk to her, before that anger backfired on them.

Gaius just tilted his head to Leia, showing no sign he noticed Leia's anger. "I am merely here to deliver something." His hand flashed and a dagger hit the ground at Milla's feet. "I'm giving you two options: You can remove the Schism as you claim you wish to or...You can see your friend dead."

Rowen narrowed his eyes at the king. "May I ask what you mean by that?" Gaius just shook his head and turned from them. Milla took a few steps toward him but failed to catch up as he vanished in one step.

"The hell did he mean by that?" Alvin demanded, glaring at the spot Gaius had vanished at. Milla shook her head at him because--She had no idea what he meant. Between the comments the Four had said about Jude and Gaius' statement just now...

She had a bad feeling.

* * *

Rowen sighed as he put the last of the dishes away. The apartment was rather quiet despite the other four people inside of the small set of rooms. No one seemed ready to address the elephant in the room--specifically, the one that had been sitting on their chests for the past 48 hours.

The 'elephant' named Jude Mathis.

Before, when Milla had...died, they had been rather despondent and tired. The difference here is that they still held some hope for Jude's safety--and that hope could also be making things worse. The stronger the hope, the worst it is when that hope is dashed.

That's perhaps what Rowen was so worried about everyone. Alvin had wandered off, with Elize chasing off after him about an hour later. Milla seemed to be agonizing over the dagger Gaius had thrown to them and Leia was sulking by the window. Out of everyone, Rowen was worried about Leia and Elize the most.

He was, of course, worried about Alvin but those two were both acting very out of character. Leia was almost vicious to anything and everything that got in their way. Elize had gone shy and timid again, scared that everyone around her would disappear. Or perhaps she was just scared that something would happen to them like it had to Jude.

Rowen would talk to her later, but Leia was the most concerning right now. Perhaps...yes, that would be a good way to get Leia on her own so he could speak with her. Putting the damp washcloth in a laundry bin, he approached the former nurse. "Leia?," Rowen said, "I've noticed our supply stores are low--I was planning to go out. Would you come with me?"

If he was so used to dealing with people diplomatically he doubted Leia would've agreed. Thankfully, she didn't seem to sense that he had ulterior motives and agreed. The two of them began walking down from Balan's apartment and down towards the marketplace. There was almost no one out and about and Rowen counted his lucky stars. Leia may be more willing to speak with him if there weren't as many people around to hear.

If he was so used to dealing with people diplomatically he doubted Leia would've agreed. Thankfully, she didn't seem to sense that he had ulterior motives and agreed. The two of them began walking down from Balan's apartment and down towards the marketplace. There was almost no one out and about and Rowen counted his lucky stars. Leia may be more willing to speak with him if there weren't as many people around to hear.

Leia seemed to be more relaxed, now that she wasn't sitting around and brooding about things she couldn't control. She seemed content to drift from stall to stall, picking up some of the healing items they needed to replace. It was when she got to the food stall that Rowen intervened, his hand reached out to touch Leia's shoulder. "Leia." Rowen murmured. "There's something I need to speak with you about after I pick up the ingredients of for dinner?"

It was obvious that she was now suspicious of him. Rowen tried not to wince as he quickly picked out the ingredients for their dinner. But he counted the fact that she hadn't left as a sign that she did want to talk with him. Even if she would likely be upset about the subject he wanted to talk about.

Rowen smiled at Leia and led her to the Seahaven of Trigleph. The place was all but abandoned, as there was no point in using a Seahaven where the sea couldn't reach. He patiently led them to a bench overlooking the Seahaven's docks. He placed his bags by his feet, gesturing for Leia to follow his example.

She hesitated but followed his example and sat down, her hands clenched on her knees. "So," Leia mumbled. "What exactly did you want to talk to me about, Rowen?"

He sighed, laying his hands on his lap. "I'm concerned for you," Rowen admitted with his lips pursed. "You've been acting rather uncharacteristically recently--and I can understand why. None of us are happy with the current situation and what is happening with Jude. But Leia--You should be well aware of this that bottling up how you feel isn't healthy nor will it help us."

There was a flinch from the girl and she looked down at her hands, eyes hard. "How can I? There's something wrong with Jude and I can't do anything to stop it. And...What am I supposed to say? Oh, I feel bad that Jude is acting like he doesn't know who we are and is working against us with Gaius! That doesn't make me feel any better, Rowen."

"Leia." He led a hand on one of her tense hands. Rowen understood why she was so tense: If this had been Nachitgal years ago or Cline or Driselle...Rowen would no doubt feel the same. But if they were going to help Jude, Leia couldn't...be like this. "What do you think Jude would say if he saw you right now?"

Leia scowled but sighed. "He'd probably tease me about how I was scolding him for not dealing with his feelings earlier, but now I'm doing the same thing. But I--How can we help Jude?"

Rowen sighed. "I do not know. But we still have things to do, things we can do. Jude is still alive, which is better than what we thought of Milla--and we can still help both Elympios and Rieze Maxia. We can let the Schism fall." He smiled as he realized something. "I'm sure Jude would be very interested in the spyrite project, don't you think?"

That made her smile and they both went quiet. Rowen was thinking: Milla had mentioned something that the Four had told her, that the Jude they had seen wasn't their Jude. He wondered what that meant. How exactly could that not be their Jude? Who else could that be?

A thought occurred to him and it left a pit of dread in his stomach: Milla had died but returned--as a spirit, of course. She had even admitted to him that, when they were traveling back from Helioborg earlier that very same day, she had lost her memories. She had only gotten them back, after seeing the explosion that had hurt Jude and their struggle with Maxwell.

If Milla didn't have her memories before then, could they really say it had been her?

If that was the case, then if one applied that to Jude--Well. Rowen pursed his lips because if that was the case then the explosion that had hit Jude...it had killed him.

Even if he thought that there was no way he was going to tell Leia that. She was already struggling with it and Milla had only told him this fact. He was not going to betray her trust on this nor will he hurt Leia in such a way.

He patted Leia's hand again and said, "If there anything else you want to say or talk about? I am always here to listen if you do."

"Not...right now. Maybe later, Rowen." Leia paused and then peered at Rowen from the corner of her eye. "Can we head back to Balan's apartment right now? I--can I help with dinner?"

Rowen smiled. "Of course you can. Now, why don't we head out on our way back to the apartment?" He stood up and picked up his own bags, smiling down at her as she once more followed his example.

She didn't say anything more, on their way back to the apartment. Rowen was well aware that a single conversation would, in no way, fix everything that was happening. Rowen was sure that the only way to truly fix what was wrong was to get Jude back--but if his thoughts were right, And Jude was dead...a spirit, without his memories, then that would make everything far more difficult.

That being said, it might be a good time to begin thinking about their next move. Assumingly, with that dagger Gaius had provided them with, they should be able to return to Rieze Maxia. They likely could also return to that place in between the two worlds, within the Schism itself. Milla's plans for herself seemed to include going there, and knowing her, she likely was assuming the others would come with.

Rowen admitted that he was going to go himself--but he refused to speak for the other three. Leia seemed like she wanted to--but Elize may benefit more from heading home to Driselle. To head home and rest from this whole ordeal.

Of course, she would outright refuse unless she suggested it.

As they walked up the path up to the square in front of the apartment, it was to the sight of Elize dashing back into the building. Rowen and Leia exchanged baffled looks and they looked to Alvin, who was sitting on the swings overlooking the rest of the city. Alvin just looked at them, flustered and confused. He did end up standing up and taking one of the paper bags Rowen held.

The new trio headed up to the apartment, where Milla and Elize were already speaking about something. Elize looked embarrassed about something and refused to look at Alvin, who looked just as embarrassed. Whatever it was likely had shaken Alvin quite a lot if he was freely showing his emotions. Perhaps just caused Rowen to be somewhat curious about it.

Rowen led Leia to the kitchen and the two of them began a pot of pasta. Alvin ended up helping out as well as if to avoid staying in the same 'room' as Elize. The apartment was a studio apartment, though, so Rowen was amused by the fact that Alvin would still see Elize no matter what he did.

It took an hour but they finished the meal and Rowen started dishing it out as Leia stumbled to get the plates and utensils out onto the small table. Alvin and Milla took up the couch and Rowen sighed into his own food. He was happy to be eating but...It still wasn't the perfect dish he wanted to make. It was perhaps the millionth time any of them had thought this, but he truly wished Jude was here. The doctor was the 'second' best cook, after all.

As they finished eating, Elize ended up coming and helping with cleaning up the dishes as Rowen had done earlier. As they worked, Rowen leaned over and whispered to Elize. "So what did you do to embarrass Alvin so well?" It was teasing and the tiny girl went a bright red of embarrassment.

"U-um! I just--told him me and Teepo are still friends." Elize flustered, perhaps even more embarrassed than before. "Is that--Is that really that weird?"

Rowen just smiled and laughed. "Perhaps it is to Alvin. He has been alone for a long time and has made a lot of mistakes as a result. Don't worry--I'm sure he'll get used to our stubbornness eventually."

Elize flushed and Teepo cheered in delight. Rowen just smiled as Teepo bounced around them and continued to cheer. "I-If you say so, Rowen," Elize mumbled before she reached up and caught Teepo, mumbling a quick goodbye before disappearing into the bedroom.

He watched her go before he turned to Milla. Both Alvin and Leia looked up at his serious expression. Rowen took a deep breath before he said, "Milla, I do believe we need to talk about how we're going to proceed from here."

Milla watched him seriously before tucking the dagger she was still studying away into her lillium orb. She gave him an equally serious look. "I understand, Rowen. I...I am planning to go after Maxwell, Gaius, and Muzet. I also plan to destroy the Schism--and no one else need follow my plan."

"Are you crazy?" Leia demanded. "Of course I'm going to come! Rowen said he wanted to go to, earlier!"

Alvin clearly his throat. "I want to go too," He said, "And besides I owe all of you a lot--it'd be pretty selfish of me not to help out, right?" Alvin chuckled self-deprecatingly. He didn’t own them anything, yet knowing Alvin, this was his way of saying he wanted to stay with them. Rowen would need to talk to him, too, wouldn’t he?

She looked at them both before looking at Rowen. "I understand. But it might be better to let Elize go back to Sharilton. She'll be safer there, with Driselle." _And less hurt, by whatever they find with Jude_ was left unsaid.

"No!" Elize appeared from the bedroom, returning from being teased earlier. "You can't leave me alone! I don't--I don't want to go out there when everyone needs me!" The tiny girl looked close to tears.

Teepo bounced next to her. "Elize is right!! We can't leave you all and Jude! We want to come with you!!"

Milla watched her long and hard before she nodded, and sat down on the couch. A signal for them all to sit down and get comfortable as Milla pulled out the dagger once more. She studied for a long moment before putting it down on the end table.

"Alright," She said. "It's time to start planning our ambush of the Schism."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it took me over a year to update this....i will try to NOT let a year go by before the next update


End file.
